Ch. ii. Of Systems of Equalilif . Godwin. 21 



" little store, or provide with anxiety and pain 

 " for his restless wants, each would lose his indi- 

 " vidual existence in the thought of the general 

 " good. No man would be an enemy to his 

 " neighbours, for they would have no subject of 

 " contention ; and of consequence philanthropy 

 " would resume the empire which reason assigns 

 " her. Mind would be delivered from herperpe- 

 " tual anxiety about corporal support; and be free 

 " to expatiate in the field of thought which is con- 

 " genial to her. Each would assist the inquiries 

 "of all."* 



This would indeed be a happy state. But that 

 it is merely an imaginary picture with scarcely a 

 feature near the truth, the reader, I am afraid, is 

 already too well convinced. 



Man cannot live in the midst of plenty. All 

 cannot share alike the bounties of nature. Were 

 there no established administration of property, 

 every man would be obliged to guard with force 

 his little store. Selfishness would be triumphant. 

 The subjects of contention would be perpetual. 

 Every individual ' would be under a constant 

 anxiety about corporal support, and not a single 

 intellect would be left free to expatiate in the 

 field of thought. 



How little Mr. Godwin has turned his attention 

 to the real state of human society, will sufficiently 

 appear from the manner in which he endeavours 

 to remove the difficulty of a superabundant popu- 



• Political Justice, b. viii. c. ill. p. 458. 



